Politics
JUST IN: ICE Captures ‘Iranian Army Sniper’ Living Illegally In US
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals over the weekend, including one who served as a sniper in an elite unit of his country’s army.
The arrest of Ribvar Karimi, who served four years in the Iranian Army before securing a visa to enter the U.S., comes after Iran vowed “retaliation” for bombs dropped by Israel and the U.S. on three of its nuclear enrichment facilities.
Although President Donald Trump has struck a ceasefire between both countries, U.S. antiterrorism officials are on “high alert” over the possibility that a sleeper cell Iranian actor could commit a domestic act of terrorism.
Karimi was reportedly carrying a card identifying himself as a member of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army when he was arrested, ICE officials say.
“Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out—and we are. We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Karimi was arrested in Locust, Alabama while living on a K-1 visa, which is granted to foreigners intending to marry a U.S. citizen. It’s unclear who had applied to be Karimi’s future spouse.
He entered during the Biden administration and never adjusted his status — a legal requirement — violating the terms of his visa and making him eligible for deportation, DHS adds.
A broader operation by ICE included the arrest of another individual on a federal watchlist while targeting eight states and nine sanctuary cities.
Mehran Makari Sahel of St. Paul, Minn., was arrested on June 22. He is a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who has admitted to associations with Hezbollah.
Authorities have not linked any of the Iranians to active terrorism plots, but DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urged state and local authorities to remain on high alert while the Trump administration seeks to apprehend suspicious individuals, especially those with ties to Iran.
Just one day before the 11 arrests, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) announced that Florida authorities had intercepted a “boatload” of Iranian nationals attempting to land on the shore of her state.
In a statement, the Florida Republican said that the threat of “sleeper cell” attacks by Iranian agents is very real.
“Am I concerned about sleeper cells? Absolutely. This is NOT a conspiracy theory, it’s a serious national security threat,” she told Florida’s Voice News.
Fears of a radical Islamist terrorist in the U.S. were realized at the start of the year when a deranged Muslim man rammed his truck into revelers along Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 individuals, including a friend of the British Royal Family. Investigators uncovered chilling recordings of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, praising ISIS and calling on fellow Muslims to launch lone wolf attacks inside the U.S.
